Arts Council of Henderson County in Hendersonville, NC, Announces Awards for 14th annual “Bring Us Your Best” Art Exhibition

The Arts Council of Henderson County in Hendersonville, NC, has announced the winning artists for its current exhibition, “Bring Us Your Best XIV”. Winners were announced at the opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017. “Bring Us Your Best XIV” was on display in the Blue Ridge Conference Hall of the TEDC Building on the Blue Ridge Community College campus through Friday, Aug. 18, 2017.

The awards were announced by Arts Council Board Chair, Pat McAfee, and presented by Joan Jackson, who represents the Wax Family Memorial Funds, a sponsor of the awards. The following artists received awards:

First place winners received $250, 2nd place winners received $150, and 3rd place winners received $100.

In addition to the above awards, Joe Criscione, President of the Board of Directors for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, presented a special award of $250 to Bonnie Joy Bardos for her sculpture entitled “Walela: Spirit Guide.” This “One Planet, One World” award was selected based on how well the artwork is representative of a world community recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of all beings, the oneness and interdependence of all life. The award is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville.

Henderson County photographer, Walter Arnold, and John Patrick McAfee, author, sponsored an “Artist’s Choice” award, which was selected and announced during the opening reception. Artists who have artwork in the exhibit voted for their choice to win the Artist’s Choice award at opening reception. Hamed Mahmoodi won the $300 cash prize for his dry pigment with aquatint painting entitled “The Cellist.”

The People’s Choice Award, based on the votes of all gallery visitors, has yet to be awarded. The winner will receive a $250 gift certificate from The Starving Artist Fine Art Supply & Custom Framing Shop, and will be announced after the last day of the exhibition, August 18th. The public is invited to visit the exhibition and cast their ballots for the People’s Choice Award.

In addition to The Wax Family Memorial Funds, Bring Us Your Best XIV is also sponsored by The Starving Artist Fine Art Supplies and Custom Framing Shop, the Dr. Minor F. Watts Fund at the Community Foundation of Henderson County, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville.

The Arts Council of Henderson County is a community organization that promotes, advocates for, and nurtures the arts in Henderson County and Western North Carolina. Its office is located at 401 N. Main Street, 3rd floor Hendersonville, NC 28792 (entrance on Fourth Avenue West).

The Arts Council is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources; several funds administered by the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Henderson County Government, and Henderson County Travel and Tourism.
For more information contact the Arts Council of Henderson County at 828/693-8504 or e-mail to (acofhc@bellsouth.net). Visit our website at (www.acofhc.org).